Abstract

This research evaluated the post-transplant response of Galia melon cultivated in a greenhouse on perlite to modi￾fications in Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) and nitrogen priming prior to seed germination. Priming was carried out using three nitrogen sources provided by commercial fertilizers (KNO3 , NH4 NO3 , and (NH4 )2 SO4 ), in addition to NaCl at a concentration of 150 mM. The results obtained from germination and seedling stages were compared with non-primed seeds. During the post-transplant growth, four nutrient solutions with increasing electrical conductivity (EC) (4, 5, and 6 dS m-1) and decreasing SAR (10, 9, 8, and 7) were evaluated. The results determined that nutrient solutions with SAR values of 8 and 7 resulted in plants with greater height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, fresh biomass, and dry biomass compared to the Control treatment with SAR of 10, despite having a higher EC. These preliminary results suggest that ionic ratios (Na+ /K+ , Na+ /Ca2+, Na+ /Mg2+, and Cl- /NO3 - ) in the nutrient solution are more relevant than the EC level. A residual post-transplant effect was also observed as a result of the nitrogen priming performed on the seeds. Plants from nitrogen priming, especially with NH4 NO3 and (NH4 )2 SO4 , showed greater height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, fresh biomass, and dry biomass compared to non-primed seeds or seeds primed with NaCl. Priming with KNO3 yielded intermediate values.